Double vision

[MummyEt]

Hi, just wondering does anyone know if double vision is a symptom of Lazy Eye?

My 4 year old son has just been diagnosed with Lazy Eye as I noticed him winking one eye closed quite a lot and occasionally rubbing it - we are just awaiting the second optician appointment where they will put drops in his eye to get an accurate prescription for glasses.

However, he's now started this week saying he can see two of things sometimes (when asked he reckons this started after Christmas, though I'm not sure how accurate his sense of time is). I'm not sure if this is a symptom of Lazy Eye too, or if there is something else going on? I tend to think the worst a bit with anything head related as he suffers from suspected Complex Partial Seizures when ill (a bit like extended absences) and, although he had an MRI scan around 18 months ago that came back clear, I fear maybe something was missed or is developing slowly.

Any experiences of double vision in children would be much appreciated!

Thanks

Hi, yes double vision is what causes a lazy eye (astigmatism).

My DD is now 10, but we noticed a significant squint when she was approx 18months. She was diagnosed with double vision which was causing the squint, essentially to correct the double vision they stop using one eye.

She had patches for a while (never very well, she was a toddler and it was hard work), and glasses. Now she doesn’t have anything and the squint has corrected itself, however her bad eye is almost blind. Glasses won’t help. She may have surgery in the future but for aesthetic reasons, if the squint returns.

Yes, it's due to the lazy eye. If both eyes are not pointing in the same direction, they'll see different things hence the double vision.
Closing one eye will remove the second image and so he won't get double vision.

When it happens in younger children their brain shuts off one of the images and that's why they get amblyopia and need to wear a patch over one of them.

The glasses will hopefully sort out both the double vision and the lazy eye.

Having said that though, developing a squint can occasionally be a sign of something happening in the brain, so it's absolutely worth mentioning this when you are next seen.

Trust your gut. My son had strabismus and other vision problems, together with involuntary head movements and had an MRI aged 2.5 & he was given the all clear. Age 3.5 the MRI was repeated (I took him/copy of the 1st MRI to various consultants and one thought he saw an anomaly) & they found a small tumour which in hindsight was present on the first scan.

I would definitely ask to see the ophthalmologist again to discuss changes to his vision.

Better safe than tumour - Signs and Symptoms

I have had double vision since I was a child. My eyes don't converge properly. It is most pronounced at arms distance. I can see 4 eyes in a row rather than 2 if looking at someone.
I was given exercise to strengthen the muscles but they never did much. At 21 I managed to persuade the opticians to give me prism lens and that made a huge difference and once I left education at 29 I stopped having to wear them all them the time and only wear them when I can feel my eyes are straining to keep focused.

My dad has a lazy eye and had an operation when he was a child. They are sure why it could be his prematurity or because of measles as a child. His optician is amazed he still has vision in the eye and says he must have had a very good surgeon. The techniques have come along way since the 60s!